Drink You Sober
by iWdarssy
Summary: Valarie is a young vampire hunter, who's life is turned upside down when she learns that vampires are not the monsters, she thought they were. With the help of Alaric, her uncle, she become strong and prepares herself for what's coming. Nobody expected for Valarie to fall for a vampire, let alone one that they all feared.
1. Prolouge

It was around 4 in the afternoon and we were just laughing at something stupid Bianca said, like regular teenagers. We had stayed an extra hour at school, helping dump trash cans and recycling bins from classrooms. I checked my phone I had tons of missed calls from my mom and dad, I thought I told them I was staying today. We were at the corner of my street, when I began to call them back, then we turned the corner, and saw a house burning. I dropped my phone, and couldn't hear any other sound besides the flames that now devoured the house. It's amazing to think just how fast your life can change. I still remember the joy I felt at 5:23 then the fear and pain I felt at 5:24.  
I ran to the house and started to yell after them, but a man started to pull me back, my house was on fire I knew that, but if my family was in there... Once the fire was contained they pulled out a body then another then two more, I wanted to believe it wasn't them but who else could it be. It was a hopeless thought of mine.  
Kim looked at me and all she managed, all any of my friends managed to say was, "I'm so sorry."  
I saw Mrs. Torrez, our... my neighbor from two houses down, talking to the officers and all I was able to hear was, "Where is she supposed to go."  
That was the last thing on my mind but I couldn't just let them take me to strangers. I got up from the curb I had sat down on and wiped away tears as I walked up to them, "I have an uncle", I managed to say, my voice shaking. They gave me an apologetic look and nodded.  
That day I lost my family, two parents that loved each other and a sister and a brother that I loved.  
Rosa offered me her home but I couldn't be around people, memories, happiness, it all seemed to bother me. I stayed at the police station the whole night until my uncle came for me.  
I was sitting down looking at the ground, when I saw a man walk inside with a woman at his side he looked hesitated I recognized him as my uncle. He looked around when his gaze landed on me I smiled faintly. He looked like her, like my mom, I felt more tears begin to form and I felt that familiar stupid lump in my throat.  
"Are you okay", he asked as he hugged me. I hadn't seen him in almost 5 years, but he gave me a sense of comfort that made everything seem okay for a minute.  
He looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "This is Isobel my wife, stay with her I'll be right back." I watched him walk away as I turned back to Isobel, she had a sweetness to her, very... motherly. She took my hand in hers and squeezed it, giving more comfort.  
I turned away from her to look at my uncle, he was talking to some police officers. Alaric Saltzman, he was the younger brother of my mom, I didn't hear much from him from what I heard he had become a mess, but he seemed... better. I wasn't the only person to lose an older sister today, he lost my mother, his sister. He seemed stressed as he looked from me to the police officers, he put his head in his hands and stared at the floor. Once he regained his composure, he looked at me once more, then nodded to the police officers.  
When he returned he told me that we were going to be leaving Texas and moving to his home. He promised me that he would take care of me, so after my parent's funeral we left, and I started a new life.  
When I first arrived to Alaric's home, I cried for months, and refused to do anything. Then I started to go to school, I didn't try to make friends I wanted to, but my happiness also made me felt guilt, I didn't know why.  
Months passed and on my 16th birthday everything seemed to change, I became happier, more like the girl before her parents died. Alaric and Isobel made a beautiful home for me and although Isobel was always busy with her research about the supernatural, we became really close.  
I loved archery something about aim amazed me, so Alaric allowed me to take lessons, and not to brag but I was bad ass. For that time I actually thought that maybe I could be okay, live happily.

Many months later we lost Isobel to some sort of animal attack. I felt so many feelings start to leak and I cried for my family all over again, but I wasn't the only one that lost Isobel. Alaric was heartbroken, and spent a lot of time drinking and reviewing Isobel's research. He didn't talk much about her death, but I knew he was hiding something. He was different but he still cared for me and at night he would tuck me in still and he promised that we would be together through whatever, I didn't even know what that meant.  
Alaric took care of me and I was grateful, to have someone after everything and I was all he had. Alaric would give me lessons on how to protect myself, it was random but it gave him reassurance and I as okay with that. After a while Alaric's new outlook on life became something regular, and I just went along with it because I didn't want to lose him. He seemed to think of everything and everybody as danger. Contrary to me, even after everything that's happened, I didn't hate the world.  
Everything was normal for a while but one day Ric came back from wherever he was and told me to pack. He said he got a job as a teacher in a small town called Mystic Falls. Mystic Falls, I remembered reading about that small Virginian town in Isobel's research, I knew Alaric had a purpose for going there.  
I didn't say anything to him, if whatever was in this town would help him get over Isobel then I would go.

***** So this is the first story I have written and I really am enjoying writing it but that doesn't really mean anything if the readers aren't enjoying it, so tell me what you think. *****


	2. Chapter 1

Many months later

I watched from the distance Elena talk to Damon and smiled, I knew Stephan was perfect for her, but something about her and Damon made me smile. I was waiting for her since she was my ride home.

Many things have happened since my arrival at mystic falls. To sum things up Alaric did have a reason to come here, he was looking for Isobel's murderer, a young man with amazing blue eyes, pale skin, and raven black hair, Damon. At first I hated him, but how could he have known, and I saw something sweet about Damon, he cared for Elena.

I wouldn't exactly say that I was living a fairytale here, but I wasn't alone. I had friends who I would die for and would die for me. My uncle was a badass hunter who taught me everything he knew.

I was leaning on Elena's car, what happened today was insane. Something I would have never been able do on my own. It was nice to be part of something, a part of a friendship so close that we were almost family. I looked at my watch, it was getting late. Alaric hated when I stayed out late, he gave me a whole speech about the dangers in the night. Elena waved good-bye to Damon as she tucked a hair strand behind her ear. I pushed myself off the car and began to walk to the other side of the car.

When Elena reached me, I sighed dramatically, "Finally, I thought I would have to take a taxi," I said with a wink. She just stared blankly, "I am just grateful he helped us, that's all." I chuckled and turned around to come face to face with someone, then everything went black as he put a sack over my head.

Great. A new high school, I walked through the halls and avoided eye contact. I was a junior, and it wasn't the beginning of the year, so everybody would be used to each other, I would be alone. Before my parents died I attended an all-girl school, so I guess you could say I was a bit anti-social and awkward when I was near guys.

At my old school I didn't have friends and I was doing terrible at school. Alaric didn't make a big deal about it, but he told me if I didn't raise my grades this year we would have _problems_. I also missed my friends from Texas, I had known them since I was 10… I didn't really get a chance to say good-bye to them. I wanted to call them, but I couldn't. I wanted a new life and that didn't include them.

"Hi I'm Caroline," a tall blonde told me while holding out her hand. "Valeria," I said returning the action, "but you can call me Valarie." "Cute, but not much of a shorter way to say your name" she said shaking her head. "Yeah, I know, I'm just used it more than Valeria," I said awkwardly. She nodded, " I like it Val. You're Mr. Saltzman's daughter right." "Um no... " I said trying to get used to the new nickname she had given me. "I' m his niece. He's my legal guardian." I answered hoping she wouldn't ask any more.

"Oh," she said knowing what that meant. "I'm sorry for asking." She grabbed my hand as she smiled, "Come I'll show you around." I nodded as she nudged me forward, "Yeah, thanks."

"No problem, I have a feeling we're going to be good friends, Val." I smiled at the thought of having friends, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

I felt every bump in the road and shuffled my body as I removed the sack and once it off I looked around. I saw Elena next to me and realized what had happened. We had been kidnapped… really of all things kidnapped, it sucked because I had been having such a good day. Trust me in Mystic Falls good days were RARE.

_

I watched as Alaric talked to the man, and motioned me to come forward. I was confused why he wanted me to meet him, all I knew was that he was Jenna's ex-boyfriend. He began talking to the man, and defending Jenna, and the man began to threaten him. I just listened in confusion as I stood next to Alaric. The man said something, but I didn't listen to him because at that moment his eyes grew dark. I closed my eyes for a second and when I opened them I saw Alaric jam a wooden stake through his chest.

I watched in horror and began to cry, "You killed him, Alaric, YOU KILLED HIM." I began to panic and Alaric held me in place, " Look at it Valarie, that's not a person, that's a monster, who wouldn't have cared to kill you or me." "I don't understand," I told him, my body trembling. "You've read Isobel's research right," I nodded, "It's all true, Valarie, they're REAL". I turned to look at him, I just stared at him in shock.

I thought he was crazy but I knew what I saw.

After that everything made sense, he told me that my mom knew about it and he was sure vampires were what killed my family. He told me how he found some journals that belonged to my mom, and how she wrote about my father being a hunter, and how she feared that because of me, the whole family was in danger.

He would take me on hunting expeditions to hunt vampires, and weeks later he was confident enough that I would be able to protect myself. I didn't know how to feel or what to think, but I knew that I was ready for anything.

I saw a man carry Elena to another car, and then he came back for me, "Don't touch me I can do it on my own," I snarled as I got up and walked to the other car. As I sat down I saw the man, whose car we were brought to, drain the life of the one who brought us here. I looked away knowing that I couldn't do anything to help him, the man looked at me through the mirror and smirked, blood still dripping from his mouth. What the hell did he want from us?


	3. Chapter 2

Moments later we arrived to an old abounded house, and were escorted in. "Trevor… why are there two." I heard a young women say as she glared at me with a disgusted look, but when her eyes landed on Elena she seemed too had forgotten all about me as she looked at her with recognition, as if she was expecting her. I realized they must have been confusing her with Katherine, "Hey," I called out bringing both their attention to me, "My name is Valarie, this is Elena… okay she's human, were both human, I can take you to Katherine if that's who-," "We could care less about Katherine, we are here for a bargain." She growled as Trevor looked at the floor. "What kind of bargain," I asked firmly. "Rose, have you asked for him… Will he be coming?" Trevor asked Rose with a bit of fear in his voice, "Yes, in a couple of hours we'll be free, finally no more running." She said a bit too excited.

"What about me, am I part of your bargain." "No, I truly am sorry, but I'm afraid you are just collateral damage." She said her icy English accent truly showing for the first time. "Your. Going to. Kill. Me." I said through gritted teeth, feeling an anger rising through me. She looked at me real concern in her eyes, but then is was washed away with a grin, "Think of it as a peace offering to a friend of ours."

Peace offering I had been a peace offering to many times already, a human that protects vampires, is always used as the damn, PEACE OFFERING. They sat us down on an old dusty coach, and I stayed still watching their every movement as I waited for Elena to wake up.

I stood frozen in place as I watched Stefan bite into the young girl's neck, I didn't have another choice if I didn't stake him he would kill her.

Alaric had taken me on various hunting trips, we would look for vampires and hunt them down until we killed them. We lived by the rule that they were dead, and dead creatures should stay dead, if they hurt our kind we put them down. I had killed many vampires, young vampires, Alaric's hunter friends would tell me that older vampires are harder to kill, they gain strength and skill over the years. I had made a name for myself in the hunter would, people knew about the 17 year old girl who was out killing vampires.

I was close to staking Stefan but Damon got in my way, and snapped Stefan's neck. I didn't think twice to try and stake Damon, but he was stronger, and I was pushed to the floor. "You're a vampire. You shouldn't be alive." I yelled at him, hiding the true fear I felt.

"Valarie it's okay." I heard Alaric say from somewhere behind me as I turned to face him. "Damon is not going to hurt you, I won't let him." He said as he glared at Damon, Elena now at his side. I stared at them anger and confusion rushing through my system, when realization came over me, Damon smirked as he saw the look on my face, "Consider me sparing her life a peace offering," he said looking at my uncle.

After he left I left far away from everyone there, these people were my friends, and I had grown to love them. Finding out that they were vampires crushed every bit of hope that had been growing since I got here. When Alaric got home, he explained everything about Elena, and how Isobel didn't die, but left to be a vampire, and Damon was the one who turned her. I didn't want to believe it but I saw her, she was a heartless vampire.

Time went by and things started to get back to normal, and me and Damon let by gone be by gones. Then we came across a new problem, Katherine.

"Val," Elena's said as her voice brought me back to reality, I smiled trying to keep up the spirit, while I told her what had happened so far. Elena and I had become close, not as close I had become to Tyler. He was an asshole at times, but something about him reminded me a normal life even though his life was nothing close to normal. Last time I saw him he had triggered the werewolf curse, and with that losing the innocence he had. I felt the same thing for Bonnie when she found out, then for Jeremy, then again for Caroline.

I heard Rose and Trevor discussing something, they were talking about the originals, and I didn't understand why what they were saying sounded so familiar. I also heard a name 'Elijah'. Elena began making her way to them but was stopped by Rose, I just sat wondering who he was.

After a couple of hours Rose came into the room trying to calm Trevor, "We could still leave, leave them here for him to find and run," he said his voice shaking. "No. No more running everything will work out Elijah will negotiate with us and grant us our freedom." Rose said, as I stood. I looked at them both with a lot of compassion in my eyes I knew that look they had in their eyes, I had seen in my friends eyes so many times before, fear. "He's after you, why are you so scared of him," Rose turned to look at him, " We have been running from the original family for 500 years," I had heard them explain to Elena who the originals were, the oldest vampires alive, Elijah must have been one of them.

Rose turned to face a different place and told Trevor to stay with us, "Trevor, we can help you, you won't have to be afraid anymore, we can pro-," "She will help us by dying for the sacrifice, by handing her over to Elijah, she is guaranteeing us freedom." He said interrupting me. I was about to say something not wanting to accept that Elena would die, when Rose came back with a man.

I decided on reaching for the stake I had hiding in my boot, since he had all his attention on my doppelganger friend. Within a second he was standing in front of her sniffing her neck as I gripped the stake tighter still hiding it from anyone view. "Elijah, we offer you the doppelganger and a meal in return for our freedom," Rose said as Elijah turned to look at me his eyes widening the moment he saw me. "Valeria."


	4. Chapter 3

I looked at with probably the most confused and amazed expression on my face, "Do you know who I am." Trever once again interrupting me said, "Elijah I am very sorry, please grant us our freedom," Elijah stare lingered on me a while longer until he turned to Trevor and began discussing his freedom. I watched him talk, and stared at Elena as she mouthed 'Don't worry'. I continued to glare at Elijah, "Enough," I said as they continued to rant about events that occurred when my great grandparents weren't even born. Elijah didn't remove take his eyes of Trevor as he said, "Yes. Enough." I sighed feeling relieved when all of a sudden Elijah ripped Trevor's head from his body.

I gasped in terror, as I saw Rose began to sob, "What the hell is wrong with you." "You should not be alive," he said approaching me with anger in his eyes ignoring my previous question. "Yeah well no offence but you shouldn't either," I said stabbing him with the thin stake. He gasped for air, but was able to pull out the stake from his chest. He looked at me and revealed his fangs and within seconds his icy cold hand held my neck. "Wait, please. Wait you can't kill us not without the moonstone," Elena said making him stop and turn to her. Elena was going to negotiate information for our lives, it was a good plan but he was a much stronger vampire, he ripped her vervain necklace off her neck and compelled her to say the truth, when we heard a noise come from another room. Elijah anger continued to grow as he asked Rose who else was here, and she continued saying she didn't know.

Elijah grabbed my arm and pushed Elena to move when all of a sudden we heard whispers, "Over here." Right after we heard another, then a flood of relief came over me as I stood in front of Damon with his hand over my mouth. I knew they would come to rescue us… well Elena.

I watched as Elena threw a vervain grenade, from Alaric's collection, at Elijah and he growled in pain. I saw him heal way too quickly, something was off, but before I could say anything Damon had staked Elijah with a huge wooden stake, and I watched as blue veins, I had become to familiar with, covered his face.

Elena ran to Stefan, as Rose stared at me shock in her eyes, then she was gone. Damon was about to run after her but I told him not to, "She just lost someone, the least she deserves is a little peace of mind."

When I got home I found Alaric sleeping on the couch, he must have been waiting for me. I walked to his room and grabbed a blanket and covered him as I sat next to him. Elijah. His name seemed so familiar, yet I didn't know that man, I guess it didn't matter anymore. I thought about it for a couple minutes until sleep conquered all my senses.

_"I know how you're feeling Valarie, I can help you, move you closer to your destiny" a person told me as she stood in the shadows of my old room. "What exactly is my destiny, and who are you." I asked knowing this had to be a dream. I couldn't see her face but somehow I knew she was smiling, "You're not ready to find out." _

_"So why bother, telling me about a destiny I'm supposed to fulfil if you won't tell me what to do." I asked her really wanting to help. "All you have to know for now is that I have been waiting for you for centuries. Finally there will be justice. _

I woke up in my bed, with an intense pain in my back. I began to touch the area where all the pain was concentrated on, it was on that strange birthmark I had on the upper right on my back. It felt like it was burning, I began to sweat as my breathing got thicker and more frequent then everything began to become blurry until an immense drowsiness took over.


	5. Chapter 4

The next day I awoke to the sound of knocking at my apartment door, I hesitantly got up from my bed and walked towards the door. "Val, its Elena open up." I groaned but read the note Alaric must have left for me before he went to work.

_Thought you could use the extra hour, see you at school._

_ -Alaric_

Once I opened the door Elena barged in Caroline right behind her, "Hey guys what's going on," I said trying to hide the fact that all I wanted to do was sleep. "I talked to Rose this morni-, ROSE, as in the vampire that was trying to sell us to the very scary original, that ROSE," I said interrupting her. Elena nodded, "She told us about the oldest vampire alive, Klaus, he wants me as a sacrifice, Valarie I have to know more about him," "And the oldest vampire we know is locked in a tomb." Elena nodded knowing I disapproved, "She'll talk to you, Val, you know I wouldn't be asking you this if it wasn't important."

"Elena what are you doing," I asked her as she grabbed my throat with abnormal force. "Hello Valerie, I'm Katherine it is a pleasure to meet you," she said with the hugest smirk I had ever seen on anybody. "What do you want from me," "Nothing right now, just try to stay alive, I'll be needing you very soon," she said winking at me.

She let my neck go as I fell to the ground, "Why would you care what happened to me," I said still trying to catch my breath. She turned to look at me, "You and me have a lot in common Valerie, trust me I don't want you to die," and with that she gone.

I looked up at Caroline and Elena, as I sat on the couch, "Fine let's go visit Katherine a visit."

"Are you sure you want to do this, we can call Stef-," "No. Caroline you cannot tell Stefan were we are," Elena said a serious look on her face. I tuned and looked at the scenery ignoring Caroline's and Elena's conversation, as I truly thought about what happened last night. _It was just a dream, _I thought to myself.

It was just a dream, but that didn't mean it wasn't true, I tried to forget about it but deep down I knew that it had some form of truth. "Okay, there," Caroline said as she removed the boulder from the entrance. "Caroline its okay as long as we stay on this side she can't do anything." Elena reassured her. "Katherine" I called out as Caroline left to distract Stephan.

We heard footsteps coming from the tomb and then she appeared to us, "Valarie and Elena what a pleasant surprise, Not." She said. "Katherine you look just darling, did you do something knew with your hair," I said sarcastically. She looked at me annoyed, "What do you want Elena, come to see me die."

Elena took a step towards her and told her what Rose had told her. Then she got on the floor and negotiated blood for information, clever girl. I smirked as I watched Katherine give in not having much of an option.

I sat back as I listened to Katherine tell us about Klaus and all he was capable of. I heard the hurt in her voice as she told us about how her father took away her baby. She told us about when she met Klaus and then she told us about Trevor and Rose, "They were a family, who had been on the run for 500 years because of you, how could you be such a… a BITCH," I said the hate I had for her taken over. All this did was amuse her," I did what I had to do to survive, if your smart you'll do the same," she said looking at Elena

She told us about her plan and how she wanted to also use Elena as a way to release herself from Klaus's torment. "How could you be so cruel, you were going to get us all killed, luring Klaus here, what were you thinking," I asked he exhaustion in my voice. She smirked for a second, "Better you than I," she said before leaving back to the deep end of the tomb.

We left and I went for a walk just to clear and organize my problems. After everything I had heard her say, I knew that no matter what we did Klaus was coming for Elena, and all we could do was to get ready. It was crazy how much fear I had for someone who I haven't met.

"Hey, long time no see," I turned around to see Tyler, I hadn't seen him since the masquerade.

"So how are you enjoying school?" I was at the Mystic Grill, my first time in here. Matt invited me to come with him after school. He sat in front of me, smiling a very sweet innocent smile.

"Yeah, I like it here." It was true I had been here for two weeks and already I fell in love with this tiny town.

"Hey Matt, where were you today, dude." A medium height, tan boy with black hair walked up to the booth and sat next to Matt. Matt smiled at him, "Hey Tyler this is Valarie. Valarie this is Tyler." I smiled at him and gave him a small awkward wave, "Hey Tyler."

He smiled, "Hey." I had heard about him. Jeremy, Elena's younger brother told me of what an ass he was, but he didn't come off that way. We talked from a while and after Matt left we went back to his house to hang out.

"You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Lockwood, she smiled, "Thank you sweetheart." She whispered something to Tyler, and ran off to upstairs. Tyler smiled and jumped on the couch, I followed him, "She likes you," he said. "Great." I said jumping on the couch with him, we talked for hours just getting to know each other. Tyler wasn't bad, he was pressured to be someone he wasn't. He was a good friend.

"Hey," I said knowing he was now a werewolf. "So a lot has been going on and I need a friend because I'm freaking out and don't know what to do, Val, I am not what I appear to be, not anymore." He looked panicked, almost unsure. He wanted to tell me, I felt bad hiding everything I knew from him, when he was more than willing to tell me he was a werewolf. It was selfish of me, but I was glad he knew something, know I could talk to him about it.

I looked at him with sympathy, "Yeah I know." I said decided to tell him that I knew about him. "No you don't understand and it's nothing I can tell you," he said looking down. "Ty, whatever happened, I need you to know it's not your fault, and nothing has changed," I said "Yeah except for the fact that I'm a werewolf," he said looking for my reaction, I just sighed.

"You don't look surprised, why don't you look surprised," He asked as me confused. "I guess you can call be an amateur expert when it comes to supernatural beings, I said with a smile. He looked at me and began to talk, something we hadn't done in a long time.

Then after about two hours I hugged him and said good-bye, at first he seemed bothered that I hadn't told him. I explained to him everything about why I couldn't tell him and he understood. I was walking home still more and more problems adding up to my plate full of them.

"Valeria," I turned to see who it was and found Elijah standing a few feet from me. He smiled at me and walked closer, "We have much to discuss."


	6. Chapter 5

I closed my eyes for a second and when I opened them I found myself in a rundown apartment, "I apologize for the location, I am not trying to call too much attention," Elijah said directing me to a chair. "Elijah," I said still not understanding how he was alive and wondering for how much longer I would be alive.

I sat down as he took of his jacket and paced it on a chair. He looked angry I searched for my stake, I kept in my leather jacket. "Looking for this." He wiggled my stake in front of me. I didn't say anything, I just wondered when he had snatched it from out of my jacket.

"I saw you die, I SAW DAMON STAKE YOU!" I said wanting him to answer me, but he continued to look the other way. "Valeria, you must understand that I have brought you here to interrogate you, not the other way around," he said still not facing me. "Now as you have heard my name is Elijah and I am an original, which means I am the strongest vampire alive," "Really," I said in a confronting voice, "What about Klaus." He looked at me with a stale expression, "What do you know about Klaus." "Not much, I know what he did to Katherine and her family, and I heard you're with him."

That was why I was scared of Elijah, Katherine had told us that he was close to Klaus. My guess was that if we tried to go against Klaus Elijah would kill us. I gulped and felt my face get red and adrenaline began to speed up in my veins.

"Klaus and I were very close, but now all I wish is to destroy him for what he did to MY family."

I looked at him with curiosity, "What did he do to your family," I asked, he finally looked down at me with a hurt expression. This gave me the time to really look at his features, he had brown eyes, dark hair and small adorable lips. I decided on not asking him more about his family.

"If we're talking about taking down Klaus, then I'll do whatever I need to-" I was interrupted by his laugh, " Why do you think you are capable of taking down Klaus. Why would you even try?" He asked me, now standing in front of me. "For my friends and family I am willing to do whatever I have to," I told him. He grinned, "I respect that about you, you are very brave for a small human girl," he said baking away from me, "Luckily, I will be needing you and you friend to defeat Klaus, but not now."

"Tell me what I have to do," I asked him. "Valeria we just met I cannot tell you my plan not just yet Klaus is very powerful and you are not prepared," he said. I looked at him and yelled at him my voice shaking, "I need you to tell me. Cause your right I am risking a lot, and the truth is I AM SO SCARED OF HIM!" I took a breath, "And I'm scared of what he could do to my friends, and family."

"Yes your Uncle. Good thing you had someone left after the fire burned your house to ashes, a house which I heard you were in, "he said calmly. "I'm sorry that I'm not dead," I stopped and had a thought come to my mind, "Was it you that started the fire."

He walked up to me, he looked offended, but his face was soft as he talked to me in light tone. "Valeria I do not intend of hurting you, or your friends, I assure you all I am trying to do is help Elena."

He said as he continued to walk towards me. I looked at him a lot calmer, "Prove it, and give me your word that every single one of them will not be harmed." He smiled at me "You're just going to have to trust me.

" "Give. Me. Your. Word." I said becoming angry at his arrogance. He looked at me with compassion, "I give you my word no harm will come your way," he said tenderly.

I sighed, feeling relief overcome every muscle I had been previously tightening. "Thank you."

"You play a part in all of this, I suppose you can say it's destiny that you came to the same town where the doppelganger resides." By saying that he had my full attention, "Destiny? What do you know about my destiny," I asked questioningly.

"May I see your birthmark?" He asked causing my fear to rise again. "By the sound of your heartbeat I'm guessing I am correct about the birthmark. Klaus thought you were only a myth, but here you stand in front of me, fascinating," he stated his accent filling my ears. "Whatever my destiny is I want you to know that I won't do it I still have freedom, and choice over my actions."

"I find it amazing how brave you act in front of vampires, especially since I can hear your heart beating like that," with vampire speed he appeared in front of me, making me gasp in fear, "You need to learn to control it, breath, don't let them know how scared you are, breath Valeria," he demanded.

I took a breath, "Valarie." "Pardon me" I looked at my feet taking another breath," "My mom named me Valeria after my grandma, but my dad and sister tweaked it and changed it to Valarie. I prefer Valarie." I said feeling my heart rate become normal.

He smiled then turned toward the door, "Well… Valarie I believe it's time to get you back home." I smiled back at him as he opened the door, "If you don't mind, I would like to walk home, alone." He nodded and gipped the door knob tighter.

"Elijah," I said turning to face him before I walked away, "I trust you… please don't break your word." I asked pleadingly, then walked out of the building. I turned around to look at the building and saw Elijah staring at me through the window from the room we had been in. He nodded at me and walked away.

I wasn't scared of Elijah, I did genially trust him, and I felt safe with him. He had tried to kill me not even 72 hours ago and now I felt like he was our only hope in getting rid of the new danger we were confronted with. Elijah, his name still bounced around in my head. Without even realizing it he had managed to make me care for him in the two hours I had spent with him.

I still wondered why he was so fascinated with me, how he knew about my parent's death or about Alaric. _Elijah. _It felt like I knew him from somewhere. Where had I heard his name?


End file.
